Figure 13: two recommendations from Rapid Assessment of the Employment Situation in the Maldives 2009 # Recommendation from Rapid Assessment of the Employment Situation in the Maldives (2009) 5.1 Review the current policies and arrangements requiring employees of resorts and islands with industrial and agricultural projects to reside on such islands and consider establishing housing facilities in nearby inhabited islands for employees to reside with their families. Providing housing/accommodation for employees of tourist resorts and islands with industrial and agricultural projects in nearby inhabited islands with their families and facilitating commuting between the inhabited island and the island where the person is employed would increase the productivity of the employees and prevent the social and employment problems that result from keeping all the employees confined to the staff quarters at the work site for extended periods of time. 5.2 Consider inclusion in the broader national housing policies, and hence, the national development agenda, the issue of providing housing for employees of resorts and islands with industrial and agricultural projects in nearby inhabited islands so that such employees could relocate their families to such inhabited islands. The objective of such effort would be to facilitate workers to return to their families after work every day so that they could spend their leisure time with their families, which will contribute to the strengthening of families and avoiding the social problems that are associated with children growing up without their fathers at home. It would further encourage females to seek employment at tourist resorts and other such islands. Source: Human Rights Commission of the Maldives (2009).Rapid Assessment of the Employment Situation 61. It was observed that women with children can work only if they have sources of income other than their monthly wages (monthly wages are low in the categories in which most females are employed, such as clerical and secretarial jobs, pre‐school and primary school teachers and cleaners) to pay for child care workers at home and hence, many female employees are forced to quit from their jobs with the birth of the first child.70There are no state supported child care facilities in the country; although in recent years a number of private child care facilities were founded. HRCM is aware that State has undertaken some initiatives to facilitate the establishment of such facilities, but regrettably it was not carried out due to various reasons including budgetary constraints. At present, Ministry of Law and Gender is in the process of finalizing a regulation on Day Care Centres. 62. High percentage of females employed in the home based activities in the informal sector has significantly declined from 39 percent in 2006 to 19 percent in 2010.71 63. The Employment Tribunal was established in 2008 under Employment Act with the objective to examine and adjudicate legal matters arising in the work environment between employer and employee in an expeditious and simple manner. The Employment tribunal has the power to review matters such as unfair dismissal, pay, Page 23 of 35